Facts You Never Knew About Alabama’s State Insect
A fact many people don’t know about Alabama’s state insect is that there is one. State birds, trees and flowers are well known, but official bugs don’t get much attention. That’s why we’ve decided to dedicate this post to Alabama’s state insect – the amazing monarch butterfly.
Amazing Facts About the Monarch Butterfly
They’re popular. It’s basically the most popular butterfly in America. Four other states have named the Monarch their state insect: Minnesota, Texas, Idaho and Illinois. Vermont and West Virginia have also named the monarch their state butterfly.
They travel a very long distance. Monarch migrations can be up to 3,000 miles. They typically fly 50-100 miles a day. Monarchs that show up in the southeast during the spring and summer overwinter at the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. They somehow know where to go even though migrating monarchs have never made the trip before.
The migration north takes multiple generations. Making extensive trips across North America requires that monarchs mate along the way because most butterflies don’t live long enough to make the entire trip. On the way up from Mexico four generations of monarchs are born. The first three live for 2-6 weeks, and along the way they mate so the species can continue moving north. The fourth generation lives much longer (9 months), and they are the ones that make the migration back to Mexico in the fall.
They travel in huge groups. When monarchs migrate it isn’t a sole venture. They travel together in groups with tens of thousands of butterflies and cluster together to keep warm at night.
They migrate for a very specific reason. Monarchs are well known for their seasonal migrations, but few people know why they choose certain places year after year. The answer is milkweed. Monarch caterpillars feed almost entirely on milkweed so adults specifically seek out areas with the plant before laying eggs.
They are poisonous to predators. The distinct colors of a monarch send a clear signal to birds and other predators – eat me and you’ll regret it. The coloration lets other animals know that monarchs taste awful and are poisonous if eaten. It’s actually the milkweed, monarchs eat as caterpillars that make them poisonous.
They have a nickname. Monarchs are sometimes called the milkweed butterfly because of their diet.
They have imposters. The viceroy butterfly adapted to look like the monarch so it could also escape predators that think they’re poisonous. The two butterfly species now look almost identical.
They are large but light. Monarchs are fairly sizeable butterflies, but they only weigh half a gram on average.
They can taste things with their feet. Monarch butterflies have sensors in their feet that help them identify different types of plants before they start feeding.
They have lots of babies. Female monarchs can lay up to 1,000 eggs in their short lifetime.
They are facing serious decline. Monarchs are not nearly as abundant as they once were. They were seen in Alabama last fall, but they’ve been on the decline since 1997. Mexico’s overwintering population has dropped by as much as 95% since then.
For the next few months monarchs will still be around in Alabama along with a lot of other insects. Protect your property and the monarchs with a customized pest control treatment from Vulcan Termite and Pest Control Inc. We also offer termite treatments and mosquito control so you can sit outside in comfort while you watch the monarchs. Give us a call today to learn more about our professional services.
Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/pest-profiles/facts-never-knew-alabamas-state-insect/